You need more than inspiration to build your food business. Launch and scale your restaurant, bakery, CPG brand, food blog, or food truck with tips, strategies, and lessons learned from your favorite Black chefs, Black owned restaurants and Black content creators from around the world.
Join the host, Mercedes Gosby, at the intersection of food, tech, business, and finance as she interviews food professionals and entrepreneurs every week to discover how to get started in the hospitality industry, and how to build a profitable food business.
Visit profoodmaker.com for show notes, articles & more.
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30: Tips for getting your product into grocery stores w/ Planted Foods Co.
Thursday, April 15, 2021 • Duration 43:51
Getting your product into grocery stores takes time and requires networking with retailers & buyers in the food industry. Ashley Kirk, Founder of Planted Foods Co, a plant based food company walks us through:
How to get your products onto store shelves by networking and other strategies
The consumer research Ashley conducted to decide the products she would sell
Her winding career path that led to going vegan and building a plant based food business
Full show notes at profoodmaker.com
29: How to find investors for small food businesses w/Kube Nice Cream
Thursday, April 8, 2021 • Duration 39:23
You won't be able to bootstrap your food business forever and might need investors, says Kai Nortey, co-founder & CEO of Kube Nice Cream. This Black owned vegan ice cream manufacturer explains:
Why venture capital (VC) may not be right for you as a food business owner
The types of conversations you might have with potential investors
Potential problems working with co-packers & getting into grocery stores
Full show notes at profoodmaker.com
20: How to grow your hospitality career with mentorship & coaching
Thursday, August 6, 2020 • Duration 43:29
If you are looking to grow your career in hospitality, food & beverage, you need a mentor. Lorraine Copes founded Be Inclusive Hospitality, an organization that supports and promotes Black, Asian and other ethnic minorities in the hospitality sector through education, coaching, and mentorship. Lorraine walks us through:
how and why she created Be Inclusive Hospitality
how you can join the Be Inclusive Hospitality community
Note: The name of the organization has changed from BAME in Hospitality to Be Inclusive Hospitality
Mentioned in this episode
BAME: Acronym used in the UK that stands for Black, Asian, and other Ethnic Minorities
19: Centering Black chefs & Black owned restaurants with Black Food Folks
Thursday, July 16, 2020 • Duration 42:25
Where can Black chefs, Black owned restaurants and professionals in the food, beverage & hospitality industry go for professional development, collaboration, and support? Colleen Vincent and Clay Williams founded Black Food Folks, a fellowship that centers Black people, our accomplishments, and our growth in food & drink. Colleen & Clay walk us through:
the food industry's gatekeeping and how that affects opportunities for Black people
media's obsession with one Black chef at a time
how and why they created Black Food Folks
immediate changes they want to see in food & beverage
how you can support Black chefs, writers, creatives, etc
18: Create & customize your own cookbook using your phone with Shaun Chavis of LVNGbook
Thursday, July 2, 2020 • Duration 44:59
You don't need to be a celebrity chef to create your own cookbook. LVNGbook, created by Shaun Chavis, a former cookbook editor, offers culturally-inclusive customizable cookbooks for people with a chronic disease. Shaun walks us through:
the importance of customer discovery when building your app
17: Improve your food photography skills with food blogger Anela Malik
Thursday, June 18, 2020 • Duration 45:08
Anela Malik is a food blogger & food writer who focuses on food politics and telling diverse food stories. Anela chats about her work that supports Black owned restaurants and walks us through:
How to plan your content based on your mission statement.
The equipment and apps she uses to create food content.
The importance of networking as a content creator and how to genuinely build relationships.
16: Black inventor creates Wonderffle stuffed waffle maker w/Mike Bradford
Friday, June 5, 2020 • Duration 40:08
Mike Bradford, Founder & President of Wonderffle, is a software engineer who invented a stuffed waffle maker that lets you create waffles with your favorite foods inside. Mike walks us through:
Cost estimates for manufacturing your kitchen appliance
Lessons learned from finding the right manufacturer for your invention
How to save money on filing for your patent
How he was able to get feedback from chefs & food media
15: Black owned Soul Popped Popcorn turns $53 into $500,000 w/De J Lozada
Thursday, May 21, 2020 • Duration 39:34
De J Lozada, Founder of Soul Popped Gourmet Popcorn, and Black business advocate, knows that selling online can be difficult and expensive for business owners. She is launching Shop Kemet, an online marketplace that connects Black owned businesses with customers who want to buy Black. De J talks about:
What it takes to generate $500,000+ in sales for your food business
The features available on Shop Kemet that other marketplaces don't offer
Why Black owned businesses need an online presence
Connect with De J Lozada, SoulPopped, & Shop Kemet
14: How a Howard alum runs a pop up soul food restaurant around the world
Thursday, May 7, 2020 • Duration 51:24
Want to open a restaurant? You don't need a brick and mortar location or even a food truck. Fred Corder, Co-Owner of Maryland Chickan, walks us through how #DeepFriedWatermelon does pop ups at night markets and food events in Southeast Asia and the U.S. Fred also talks about:
Why Black entrepreneurs need to do more business internationally
The importance of decentralization of business and media and why this is the best time to be a food entrepreneur
Why pop up restaurants are profitable and don't have to be a stepping stone to a food truck or physical restaurant
